Study of attentional deficits (unilateral spatial neglect) in Moroccan adolescents attending school-Rabat Sale Kenitra region

Abstract

Objectives: Attention is an essential part of cognitive functions for all learning in the school environment. The screening of attentional deficits constitutes an important field of research, given its relationship with other cognitive functions and the neurocognitive profiling of Moroccan adolescents in school. Materials and Methods: A study was conducted over 3 months. A comparative and predictive method is used, the Bells test, to assess the state of neglect of these students, as well as the detection of attention deficit. Results: Two hundred and fifty students participated, including 152 girls [60.4%] and 98 boys [39.6%], the average age is 16.77 ± 1.23 years, range: 14–21, divided into three school levels: Common core (TC) 27.6%, 1st-year baccalaureate 50.8%, and 2nd-year baccalaureate 21.6%. This study found that 18.4% of the students had attentional deficits and 4% had a unilateral spatial neglect pattern in young adolescents in school. Conclusion: The Bells Test is a useful screening tool to detect these attentional deficits. This implies that attentional disorders negatively influence the academic and motor performance of the subjects. This implies that attentional disorders negatively influence the academic and motor performance of the subjects and, therefore, increase the percentage of school failure.